BEAST

BEAST Seven Dials

BEAST is the new face of male beauty, offering a curated selection of the finest men’s products from across the globe. The only store of its kind, BEAST brings together over 80 premium brands spanning Body, Hair, Shave, Face and Fragrance. The brand presents a unique mix of innovative newcomers and long established cult classics.

Spencer Wallace, BEAST Co-Founder, said:

“BEAST aims to revitalise the way men buy products and we are keen to promote a new attitude towards male beauty as a whole. It’s time to break down the boundaries – BEAST is proud to be the new face of male beauty.”

Steve Banks, BEAST Co-Founder, said:

“The idea for BEAST was born because we could never find everything we needed all in one place, coupled with the fact that the advice you are often given is rarely impartial. BEAST champions the individual and is a convenient one-stop destination for all men, of all ages, with all skin types and for all budgets. We have an open door & everyone-welcome attitude.”

The brand’s way of shopping is built around a simple logic, whereby the store and website mirror the same merchandised structure – Body, Hair, Shave, Face and Fragrance. Seasonal updates will include items such as: exclusive fragrances at Christmas, Sport specific Sunscreen for holidays and more.

Bryce Calleia of Nirvana CPH worked as the interior designer on BEAST.

The main brief for creating Beast’s interior was to allow individual brands to be showcased in a neutral, easy to navigate display area that allowed each and every product to stand on its own. For the dilapidation the unit was stripped back to almost shell-state, ripping out all existing stud walls and cladding, leaving only the oak flooring.

A simple rectangular floor plan was then created by raising a stud wall around the stairwell, at the   same time forming a back-of‐house area to be used for staff belongings and additional product storage away from the shop floor.

The programme for the store was pre‐determined by the classification of products into the main categories: Body, Hair, Shave, Face & Fragrance. These main categories then divide into sub categories to allow the customer to easily self-navigate their way around the store.

The number of different materials used within the design was kept to a minimum, therefore helping to create a neutral showcase that does not distract the customer. Steel was used, in various forms, for the display units due to its durability and strong aesthetic.

The units have been designed to include maximum storage to prevent the need to leave the shop floor and incorporate LED product lighting. The sub‐categories are divided within the unit using free­standing & moveable black acrylic blocks that help to form columns of product.

All way‐finding has been created using magnetic and suspended acrylic blocks. This lightweight material allows the BEAST retail team to configure the sub-categories easily in response to changing season, campaign and consumer demand.

The existing oak floor was stripped and sealed with a clear matte finish to allow the material to appear in its natural state. A central table is used to finalise transactions, have casual meetings and for any customers who would just like a seat.

Sinks are located within the perimeter walls for anyone who wishes to test a product where needed. The sink areas were designed using hand carved stone washbasins and bespoke raw copper taps adapted on-site. These two natural materials combine to help communicate the neutral brand aesthetic.

The window display area is again another minimal, neutral display area which uses white cement plinths casted on‐site to champion hero products during the opening campaign. Other display units include a corian formed grandstand-type gondola for fragrance, along with a large perforated steel‐clad mid‐floor gondola, used to highlight seasonal featured brands.

The overall result has been extremely well received.

For more information, please visit: www.shop-beast.com or follow: @BEAST.LONDON

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